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Why Power Cables Affect Sound

I just bought a new CD player and was underwhelmed with it compared to my cheaper, lower quality CD player. That’s when it hit me that my cheaper CD player is using an upgraded power cable. When I put an upgraded power cable on my new CD player, the sound was instantly transformed: the treble was tamed, the music was more dynamic and lifelike, and overall more musical. 

This got me thinking as to how in the world a power cable can affect sound. I want to hear all of your ideas. Here’s one of my ideas:

I have heard from many sources that a good power cable is made of multiple gauge conductors from large gauge to small gauge. The electrons in a power cable are like a train with each electron acting as a train car. When a treble note is played, for example, the small gauge wires can react quickly because that “train” has much less mass than a large gauge conductor. If you only had one large gauge conductor, you would need to accelerate a very large train for a small, quick treble note, and this leads to poor dynamics. A similar analogy might be water in a pipe. A small pipe can react much quicker to higher frequencies than a large pipe due to the decreased mass/momentum of the water in the pipe. 

That’s one of my ideas. Now I want to hear your thoughts and have a general discussion of why power cables matter. 

If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. There a time and place for that but not in this thread please. 
128x128mkgus
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
If one looks at many positive posters here and elsewhere... They too once thought it was impossible for cables to affect the sound. Until they heard it for themselves. Over and over i have read folks saying this, and can say I too used to pooh pooh powercords, and still do speaker cables to some degree. But once I heard a difference in ap power cord.well what can I say.                  
So I say never give up on the naysayers. Some day they too will hear a difference.
mzkmxcv
558 posts
 
@elizabeth  
 
Hearing a difference is not the same as there being a difference. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
@mitch2
1. What characteristics of a power cord would affect voltage (i.e., cause a voltage drop) - is that primarily a function of resistance and wire gauge, or something else, and
2. What characteristics of a power cord would affect bandwidth?  
Voltage drop can be caused by the connectors or the wire itself- they all respond to Ohm's Law. If you find that either are getting warm, you know for sure there is a voltage drop occurring.
The geometry and materials affect bandwidth, in addition to gauge.

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
Hearing a difference is not the same as there being a difference.
So when measurements fail to convince, and listening tests fail to convince, and you no longer have a leg to stand on, just get metaphysical.

Right. 👍

All the best,
Nonoise
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cleeds
2,065 posts
 
thyname
You cannot win any argument with any cable deniers folks. That’s the reality. They will never submit to actually trying stuff, instead, asking us to provide proof and measurements.
Yes, that is indeed the pattern that we’ve seen repeated here many times. Presumably, that’s why the OP stated:
If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism.
It’s interesting that the the deniers are so unwilling to experiment, often responding that it isn’t necessary because they know in advance what the results of a listening test would be. What’s interesting about that claim is - accepting their convictions about the influence of "placebo effect" - they are probably correct. If you’re certain you won’t hear difference, then most likely you won’t hear a difference.

Of course, if you’re unwilling to experiment and listen, you are assured to not hear any difference at all.
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